Friendship
by MrsLJG5
Summary: Charles "Corky" Thacher had friends during his time at Marshall High School. What if he developed a special friendship with an outsider who accepted him unconditionally and just became the best of friends, despite differences? The following is a G rated story about special friendships in all realms.
1. Introductions and First Appearances

"Sorry I'm late, Mrs. Moore."

Charles Thacher wondered about life beyond Marshall High. All he wanted was acceptance. He found his ticket to both when Danine Stewart entered into his life.

She was a transfer student from the Washington DC area. First name was Christiane—pronounced Christie-Ann—short "n" sound. Teachers insisted by using her first name, which no one really used. Alphabetical order, attendance, and respect were the main rules in Mrs. Moore's third period history class. Stewart and Thacher sat in the same row, only Danine was in front. Her height blocked Corky's view of the chalkboard. They met about three weeks before.

* * *

"_Excuse me. Would you please move to the side?"_

_"Oh, of course."_ She turned around. Immediately, Corky was distracted. She had a very nice smile.

_"What's your name?"_

_"Charles, but everyone calls me Corky."_

_"I'm Christiane, but everyone calls me by middle name-Danine."_

_"Nice to meet you." _Corky extended his right hand.

_"Likewise."_

* * *

"Christiane, it's fine." Mrs. Moore accepted the late slip. "Have a seat."

She sat in front of Corky, retrieving her notebook, pencil from her backpack. The instructor was writing directions on the board for warm-up.

"Hey, Cork." She whispered.

"What's up, Danine?" The two greeted by hand-slap.

"At the office?"

"Yep. Got two days AFS.—After School Program." She passed the slip to Corky, who chuckled.

**_"Christiane did not follow directions from the teacher. She used inappropriate language to one of the students, telling him 'to shut the hell up.'" _**

"That's worth the two days!" Corky and Danine snickered.

You need the answers?" He asked.

"Please?"

Danine adjusted her desk beside Corky's, her notebook opened and the two talking but working on the assignment.

"You didn't have to take the rap alone." Corky whispered.

"Please! The last thing you need is trouble. I can do the two days standing on my head." The two were jotting notes, continued their conversation while completing classwork.

"What are you two doing?" Mrs. Moore heard a chuckle, immediately turned around and noticed the seat adjustment.

"Corky's telling me the assignment, Mrs. Moore." Danine answered. "I missed the first 10 minutes of class."

"The retard's copying answers." A classmate said.

"You can't see our paper from here, Kyle."

The others laughed.

"You're such a freak."

"Oh, yeah? The freak's your Mama!" Danine stood up, walking towards Kyle.

"That's enough, Kyle and Christiane! Go back to your seat…before you _both_ earn a suspension ticket." Mrs. Moore pointed to the board. "It's right there; sit back at your desk and get to work."

"Yes ma'am." Danine answered. She glared at Kyle momentarily, mouthing discontent. Then she turned to Corky, continued working in the back corner.

Danine was not the typical Glenbrook student. In fact, her city-wise attitude often clashed with other peers.

* * *

Mrs. Moore kept Danine after class. It was lunchtime. The teacher closed the door, directed her student to a front desk. Corky waited in the hallway but took Mr. Hart's suggestion to leave the hallway and go follow the lunch bell.

"I'm sorry for disrupting your class, Mrs. Moore." Danine began.

"I know that you are very polite and respectable to elders…" Mrs. Moore began. "So I'm giving you a chance to explain that situation with Kyle." She leaned against the front of her desk.

"Kyle bullies Corky all the time." She sighed, continued. "We were in art class, and Kyle mumbled stuff under his breath about him." The room was silent. Danine concluded. "I know what it's like to not fit in."

"I read your student file from St. Stephens in Arlington; flagged. It mentioned some behavioral problems?"

"The file's wrong."

"Really?" Mrs. Moore chuckled, glanced at Danine. "It also says that you're a good student—AP courses…junior college. Or is that a lie?"

"It's a lie if it means I have to transfer to another class." Danine said.

"You and Corky Thacher are good friends?"

"Yes ma'am." Danine answered.

"Why?"

"He's the only one who's shown me the ropes around Glenbrook." Nervously, she looked out the window. "He reminds me of a friend back in D.C." Quickly, Danine shared about Robert, a friend of hers who, she described, as 'one step slower.'

"Rob and I were in classes together until 8th grade. Soon as we started high school, they placed him in 'special classes.' There was nothing wrong with him; he needed more time."

"That explains the flag on your file…" Mrs. Moore had a change of heart.

"Honestly, you're really good for Corky's self-esteem. He's been doing a lot better in class." She admitted. "He seems happier too." The veteran teacher and Danine sat quietly.

"Next time, let _me_ handle that." Mrs. Moore suggested.

"Yes, ma'am."

"I'll speak with Dr. McPherson after school to see if you can get your AFS lifted." The teacher smiled.

"You don't have to, Mrs. Moore."

"Will you apologize to Ms. Stephens, the art teacher?"

"I can do that." She shrugged her shoulders, smiled. "I was wrong for cussing in class. I'm not wrong for defending a friend."

Mrs. Moore signed a transfer pass for Danine, suggested to swing by the art studio during lunch.

"Christiane: stay out of trouble, please?"

"Thanks, Mrs. Moore."

* * *

Libby and Drew Thacher heard about Danine during dinnertime—her age, her hometown of Washington, D.C., and even her favorite type of music. They wanted to know more about Corky's new friend at Glenbrook.

"She's 16 and drives a car." Corky said. "Danine has her Washington DC plates on her car!"

"She's a trouble-maker." Becca concluded.

"She's not!" Corky defended his friend.

"She got AFS for the next week…"

"Corky, is that true?" Libby asked.

"No. It was reversed. But I'm the reason she got AFS." Corky stirred his food, pushed the items across the plate. "She was defending me."

"She's in my math class." Becca added. "She is weird."

"Not everybody is like you, Becca."

"Enough, you two!" Drew said. Just when the room became silent, the doorbell chimed. "I'll get the door. You two finish eating."

"Hi. Mr. Thacher?" Drew nodded. "I'm Danine Stewart, a classmate of Corky's. We got our notebooks mixed up by mistake—his biology, my math notebook."


	2. To Tell the Truth

_**Author's Note: During my college years, I enjoyed watching Life Goes On. It was a quality show. I always wondered after the series ended what if a character was Corky's true confidante? With some imagination, I had a good time writing and thinking about a character, a transplant from the East in the Mid-West, with Corky helping her adjust. The following is a first meeting with Corky's parents and a confrontation with his sister, Becca. **_

From youngest daughter's description of "Danine," they expected the worst. The demeanor, even her voice—soft, even shaky—was closer to Corky's 'dreamy-eyed' romanticism. Drew was surprised. Appearance wise: she was a typical teenager—dark denim jeans, sweatshirt and jacket. Danine wore glasses—square framed—but stood about the same height as Drew.

"I guess…I can come back later if this is a bad time…"

"Come in, Danine." Drew opened the door, directed her to walk straight into the kitchen. "We were just eating dinner. You're welcomed to join us."

"No, thank you." She smiled. "I have an hour to get back home."

"Goodness, you are certainly tall!" Drew watched her take the last steps into the kitchen. "How tall are you?"

"6'1." Danine bashfully looked down. "My parents hope I'll stop growing!"

"Libby, this is Danine: Corky's classmate."

"Hi, Mrs. Thacher." She waved. "Sorry for interrupting dinner."

"We've heard a lot about you, Danine."

"Probably bad." She nervously chuckled. "Anyway, Corky and I mixed up our notebooks during study hall." She flashed the similar looking spiral notebooks. "I need my notebook for homework tonight."

"Hi, D! I'll get your notebook. It's upstairs." Corky left the table, headed upstairs.

"How do you like Marshall?" Becca asked.

"I don't. If it weren't for your brother, I would've been suspended by now." Danine answered. "He's been keeping me out of trouble."

"Mom, Dad…she is a bad influence on Corky."

Danine sighed, rolled her eyes and slightly bit her lip—a little habit for self-control. So much for self-control…

"Mr. Thacher, Mrs. Thacher…" She began. "You see, we run in different circles, or cliques at Marshall. I don't belong to any one group. I am a loner and have maybe two or three good friends. My good friend at Marshall is Corky, and I am thankful."

Corky stopped at the bottom step, listened to his friend confront his own sister.

"You should confront Kyle instead of me." Danine suggested. "He's the bully, not me! Your _friend_ bullies Corky in Art, in History, and in PE. I've heard it. I've seen it. That's why I got the suspension: I defended Corky and_ you_ instead of turning a blind eye."

"I don't need your protection." Becca scoffed.

"Fine. You can continue believing that crowd likes you for you, but let's face it: they're doing the same thing to you as they are to Corky. At least Corky faces his tormentors on face-to-face."

"Danine—" Libby interrupted.

"Libby—" Drew placed a finger on his wife's lips.

"I'm sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Thacher for being disrespectful in your house." The tears flowed from her face in frustration. "But Corky's my friend. He was the only one at Marshall who helped me out the first day I transferred. It is no way I'd hurt him. He's been hurt enough."

Corky returned to the kitchen with the notebook.

"Here's the notebook, D." Corky said. "You wanna study together?"

"I can't." Danine said. "Mom said an hour with the car and to come straight back home." She turned her attention to Drew and Libby. "Dinner time with Mom and Dad's at 6."

"Can I call you later?" Corky asked.

"Before 10 o'clock." Danine said. She glanced at her watch. "It was nice meeting you. Again, I apologize for being rude. I'll show myself out."

"Danine…a moment, please?" Libby walked the teen to their front door.

"That wasn't an act."

"No ma'am." Danine answered. "Again, I apologize for being disrespectful to Becca…"

Libby embraced Danine gently.

"You are Corky's friend and you stick up for him." She gently caressed her cheek. "You are welcomed to our home anytime."

"Yes, ma'am." Danine smiled.


End file.
